Since 2012, Facebook users have been posting a
legal-sounding “privacy notice.” By putting the notice on their timelines, they
hope, they will become exempt from the terms and conditions of Facebook’s “Data
Use Policy,” which users agree to upon initially signing up.
“We have noticed this
recent status update that is being widely shared implying the ownership of your
Facebook content has recently changed,” Alex Kirschner, a member of Faceook’s
PR team, explained. “This is not true and has never been the case.”
While there are some variations, most of the warnings look
like this:
For those of you who do not
understand the reasoning behind this posting, Facebook is now a publicly traded
entity. Unless you state otherwise, anyone can infringe on your right to
privacy once you post to this site. It is recommended that you and other
members post a similar notice as this, or you may copy and paste this version.
If you do not post such a statement once, then you are indirectly ...allowing
public use of items such as your photos and the information contained in your
status updates.
PRIVACY NOTICE: Warning - any
person and/or institution and/or Agent and/or Agency of any governmental
structure including but not limited to the United States Federal Government
also using or monitoring/using this website or any of its associated websites,
you do NOT have my permission to utilize any of my profile information nor any
of the content contained herein including, but not limited to my photos, and/or
the comments made about my photos or any other "picture" art posted
on my profile.
You are hereby notified that you
are strictly prohibited from disclosing, copying, distributing, disseminating,
or taking any other action against me with regard to this profile and the
contents herein. The foregoing prohibitions also apply to your employee, agent,
student or any personnel under your direction or control.
The contents of this profile are
private and legally privileged and confidential information, and the violation
of my personal privacy is punishable by law. UCC 1-103 1-308 ALL RIGHTS
RESERVED WITHOUT PREJUDICE
There are a number of inaccuracies here. While Facebook indeed
became a publicly traded company, the change has no bearing on how the social
network treats user information. Facebook is still bound to the terms and
conditions signed by users, even if the actual contents of the contract are usually
left unread. The company is also required to provide notification regarding any
significant changes to this agreement.
Additionally, the Uniform Commercial Codes cited at the end
of the post, "UCC 1-103 1-308" is completely unrelated to privacy or
social networking, making its inclusion irrelevant.
Note that when you join Facebook and set up an account, you
are required to indicate acceptance of the established Facebook terms and
policies, including the privacy policy. Nobody is forcing you to have a
Facebook account, and you are welcome to reject the agreement and refuse to use
Facebook, but if you’re using Facebook then you’ve already agreed to abide by
the legal terms laid out by Facebook. Therefore, you are not in a position to
unilaterally alter the terms of the agreement, legally limit or restrict the
rights of any other entity that isn’t a party to the agreement between you and
Facebook just by posting some text on your timeline.
Still, Facebook gives you the tools to protect your own
privacy, providing a diverse set of privacy controls, and enabling users to
choose where and how most status updates, photos, and other Facebook posts are
shared.
See the short clip, humorously debunking the myth:
Sources and Additional
Information:
